Saturday, March 31, 2012

Indonesia

Well I have just come to the end of possibly the craziest three months of my life, and while it was all exciting and fun I am very much looking forward to settling back into my routine. Two overseas trips and moving house in less than three months was so much more exhausting than I anticipated, not to mention running a small business at the same time, and releasing a new range. As I reflect I'm pretty proud to have gotten through it all!

For some time now I have been wanting to expand Hopeless and grow it into the company I dream of. One of the most important things in that picture is underwire bras for girls like me - big busts and small backs. I know I am not alone in the quest for a well-fitting bra - while there are more options available now more than ever, I still feel like there is a big void in the market for fashion forward lingerie for larger busts. The other big part of the equation is being an environmentally responsible company. I am very passionate about environmental issues and strongly wish for Hopeless to be a brand that is known for organic, environmentally friendly and sustainable products.

So with that in mind it was pretty obvious to me that this could not happen from my home studio. Aside from the fact that I do not have the means to obtain commercial bra-making equipment, or the knowledge and training to construct them, I simply to do not have the physical capacity to sew more than 5 or 6 pieces a day (and thats a REALLY good day) - when you think about pattern making, grading, answering emails, designing, marketing, purchasing materials, updating social media, custom orders, talking with press, photoshoots, PR, doing budgets, going to the post office, graphic design, not to mention spending time with my boyfriend, friends and family!

Unfortunately the lingerie making industry in Melbourne is pretty much non-existent. The cost of living here is just too high, and make costs here would drive up my prices so much that it would just not be a viable business. I have never been in this to make money - but I have to make some in order for the business to grow, obviously. Not to mention paying myself a wage, but that is a whole other kettle of fish.

And that is why I found myself in Indonesia, where through a very lucky contact I managed to find a couple of lingerie manufacturers who will hopefully be able to help me reach my goals. I still have a lot of research to do, and many logistics to organise, but this was a really massive step for me and for Hopeless. It seems like it could happen even sooner than I imagined, if I can keep working hard, stay strong, positive, and super organised I might just get there.

Indonesia is such an amazing country, and while I did have some initial culture shock, I absolutely fell in love with the place. I cannot wait to go back and explore even more. I only scraped the surface of all the hidden treasures, and the food, oh my goodness the food! I found some really incredible local designers in both Jakarta and Bandung too which was unexpected, as it was most definitely not a shopping trip! The people I met were so wonderful and I really look forward to doing some business with them. The two lingerie makers, and the graphic design company will be able to do exactly what I need, so it really is just a matter of me organising it all!